Massaging brush

ABSTRACT

A massaging brush having a flexible core spanning a pair of hand grips. The tufts of bristles extend continuously along a Usection helically wound channel member rotatable on the flexible core.

United States Patent Inventor Hans Wessel [56] References Cited Wildbergerhutte, Bazirk, Cologne, 1 APPL No 9;;23? 2,014,293 9/1935 Riley 128/57X Filed Feb. 7 1969 2,693,611 11/1954 Lombardi 15/182X Patented Feb. 23, 1971 FOREIGN PATENTS Priority Mar. 27, 1968 1,039,932 5/1953 France 128/57 Germany Primar E y xammer-L. W. Trapp P 17 66 6 Attorney-Karl F. Ross MASSAGING BRUSH 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl. 128/57;

15/182 ABSTRACT: A massaging brush having a flexible core Int. Cl A61h 15/00 spanning a pair of hand grips. The tufts of bristles extend con- Field of Search 128/57, 58, tinuously along a U-section helically wound channel member 24.3; 15/182 rotatable on the flexible core.

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Flexible massaging brushes have been provided heretofore in which a flexible core was formed at its ends with hand grips and carried arrays of bristlesin arotatable manner. In one of these earlier constructions, the tufts were disposed in a crownlike array on respective annular bodies or rings which were axially stacked, one after another, on a yieldable core. In another arrangement,'the rings were nonrotatably fixed to this core but were capable of yielding therewith. These arrangefected by heat and moisture so that the brush has an exceptionally long life without tips of the bristles. In addition, the channel may be clamped or clenched onto the bristles at the base of the tufts to secure them substantially permanently to the helix.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accomments and others of similar nature frequently made use of support members for the tufts of bristle that were adversely affected by heat and moisture so that the brushes were not satisfactory for massage under wet conditions or uslngwater at elevated temperature. In still other arrangements, the supports for the tufts were unable to conform adequately to the contours of the body or failed to roll satisfactorily when used for the massage of highly contoured portions of the body, such as the arms and legs. Still other arrangements created problems when the core was bent in use.

It is, therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved massaging brush which is of low cost and obviates the disadvantages enumerated above.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a: flexible massaging brush of the roller type which is able to conform more accurately and readily to the contours of the body to which it is applied.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved roller-type massaging brush in which the roller ac tion is not materially limited by bending of the brush to conform to body contours. 7

These and other objects, which will become apparent hereinafter, are attained with aroller-type massaging brush comprising a flexible elongated corewhich 'may be deflected from its rectilinear or longitudinallyextending normal position,'at least one and-preferably two grips connectedto the core at the ends thereof, and an improved brush roller constituted by a helically wound flexible channel member of outwardly open U-section in whicha continuous array of outwardly extending (radial) tuftsare received. The roller brush of helical configuration is'allowed to rotate-relative to a flexible core member and, by vi'rtueof its helical configuration and sprin glilte construction, is capable of axial elongation and contraction to accommodate bending of the brush .assembly without limiting the rotatability thereof. ,The brush is thus capable of roller-type massages in which it is drawn transversely to the core along contoured portions of the body, the surfaces of which are-more or less tangential to the cylinderdefined by the outer tips of the bristles. In addition, the brush can be drawn across portions of the body generally in the direction of themajor dimensionslof the brush, i.e. longitudinally, in a back-and-forth movement which, as a result of the helical arrangement of the bristle-carrying channel, enables the brush to conform to the contours upon such massaging panying drawing in which:

FIG..1 is an elevational view of a massage brush according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the brush similar to FIG. 1 but in a bent position; I

FIG. 3 is a detail view of the brush of FIG. I showing one end thereof, partly broken away in axial cross section;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a modified brush struclure;

FIG. 5 is an elevatidnal view, partly broken away, of a brush having'axially spaced roller bodies;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view alongthe lines VI-VI of FIG. 5; and I FIG. 7 is a view siniilar to FIG. 6 illustrating a modification of thestructure of FIG. 5. From FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that a massaging brush according to the present invention has a normal rectilinear or longitudinally extending condition (FIG. 1) from which it may be deformed into an arcuate or otherwise curved configuration (FIG. 2) conforming to the contours of the body. The massage roller is represented at l and is constituted as a helical body with slightly spaced turns as will be described in greater detail hereinbelow. The brush I is retained between a pair of shoulders 2a, 2a defined by the shanks of a pair of hand grips 2, 2 shown to be aligned with a flexible core represented at 5. The turns of the brush are represented at 3 and are providedwith an initial spacing 3 enabling the brushl to expand or contract under deformation as shown in FIG. 2.

The brush assembly 1 (FIG. 3) comprises a helically wound channel of nonrusting or corrosion-resistant material, e.g. stainless steel or other rust-free metal (e .g. aluminum), which is represented at ll and receives the bases 4' of the tufts 4 of bristles between the shanks 11' and 44 of the U-section channel. The shanks are clenched against the tufts which prevent them from withdrawal from the channels. The helix has an inner diameter d and an outer diameter D and defines the grips 3' previously mentioned. The gap width, represented at 13, mayrange from 3m 4 mm. the outer diameter H of the helical channel 11 preferably is about20 mm while the inner free diameter (d is 12 -13 mm. The tufts 4 are so dimensioned that the diameter D of the brush is about 55 mm.

In the cylindrical interior of the helix, 1 provide the flexible core 5 in the form of a rubber tube of natural rubber or synthetic rubber or another elastomer, the tube being cylindrical in its undistorted position. The length 14 of this tube is somewhat greater than the axial length 15 of the brush 1. The grips 2, 2' are each provided with axially extending stubs I6 over which the ends of tube 5 are forced so that they elasti- According to a feature of this inventiomthe core upon which the helix is mounted, preferably rotatably, is hollow and is constituted by a more tightly coiled springlike helix, a tube of an elastomeric material, or an array of axially spaced rings whose outer periphery defines a cylinder corresponding essentially to the cylinder definedby the inner periphery of the helically wound channel. Moreover, the grips of the brush of the present invention are provided with shoulders facing the helical brush and of a diameter exceeding the inner diameter of the helix so as to confine the brush between them.

Another advantage of the present system over prior arrangements is that the helical brush has improved flexibility and is more pliant or pliable than earlier systems. As a result, the brush conforms better to the contours of the body and prevents irritation as may occur when nonconforming massaging devices are provided. The channel is, according to another feature of this invention, composed of metal and thus is unafcally hug these stubs. The shoulders 2a, 21' of the grips 2, which have transverse handles 2b, 2b at their opposite ends, have diameters S which exceed the diameter d so that the shoulders 2a, 2a define the axial limits of the helical brush 1. The latter may rotate on the core 5 and is free to expand to the axial length 14 or contract until the interturn spacing I3 is closed up.

In FIG. 4, I show a variation of this basic structure wherein eachhandle 102 is formed with a socket 116 in which the core 105 is received. The core 105, which is flexible as has been noted earlier, is a closely wound coil of wire I06 to form a helical spring whose outer diameter is just slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the helical brush 101 whose bristles and channel are represented at 104 and 111, respectively. The spring 105, 106 can be threaded into the socket 116 to seat against the floor 119 thereof. To this end, the socket is formed with an internal thread 112 conforming in pitch to that of the spring 105, 106. This assembly has an improved and simplified anchorage of the core in the grip.

In FIG. 5, l have shown still another arrangement based upon the same principle. Here, however, the core 205 is constituted by a flexible rod 208 which is anchored in the grips 202. The latter have shoulders 202a whose diameters exceed that of the channel 211 in which the tufts 204 of the brush roller 201 are anchored. Instead of the flanges 2b, the grips are here provided with rings 210, which swing in the eyes 222 of the handles. The flexible core also comprises a multiplicity of support rings 207 constituting rollers of a circular configuration (FIG. 6) which are anchored to the rod 208 by a pressfit or other attaching technique to leave a grip 21 between the rings 207. If, as is shown in FIG. 5, the rod 208 is provided with a bulge 208 and the roller 7 is fitted around this bulge, the roller can rotate together with the brush 201 relative to the rod 208. When, however, the member 208 is noncircular, e.g. flattened as shown for the rod 308 in FIG. 7, the ring 308 has a corresponding throughgoing bore 308a and cannot rotate. Consequently, the rod 208, 308 can be round or flattened and can pass through corresponding bores in the rollers or roll support rings 207, 307. The arrangement of FIG. 7 has the additional advantage that the flexibility of the brush in the plane parallel to the broad surfaces of the rod 308 is less than the flexibility in the plane at right angles thereto and either bending characteristic can be exploited by the user.

The improvement described and illustrated is believed to admit of many modifications within the ability of persons skilled in the art, all such modifications being considered within the spirit and scope of the invention except as limited by the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. A massaging brush comprising an elongated flexible core, grip means anchored to said core at least at one end thereof, and a helical brush mounted on said core with freedom of axial extension and compaction thereon, said brush comprising a helically wound outwardly open channel of U-section and an array of bristles anchored in and projecting radially from said channel.

2. The massaging brush defined in claim I wherein said array of bristles is substantially continuous and said grip means includes a respective grip at each end of said core, said helical brush being confined between said grips and being rotatable relative to said grip on said core.

3. The massaging brush defined in claim 2 wherein said channel is composed of a corrosion-resistant material and is wound in a multiplicity of turns with an interturn spacing of about 3 to 4 mm., said channel having an inner helix diameter of about 12 to 13 mm and an outer helix diameter of about 20 mm. said brush having an outer diameter of about 55 mm.

4. The massaging brush defined in claim 2 wherein said core is an elastomeric tube having a length greater than the axial length of said helical brush in a rectilinear condition thereof.

5. The massaging brush defined in claim 4 where each of said grips is provided with an axially extending stub, said tube tightly hugging said stubs at its ends.

6. The massaging brush defined in claim 2 wherein said bore is a relatively tightly wound helical coil flexibly spanning said grips.

7. The massaging brush defined in claim 6 wherein each of said grips is formed with an internally threaded socket and said coil is threaded at its ends into said sockets.

8. The massaging brush defined in claim 2 wherein said core includes a rod spanning said grips and a plurality of axially spaced rings mounted on said rod and rotatably supporting said helical brush.

9. The massaging brush defined in claim 8 wherein said rod has a noncircular cross section and said rings have throughgoing bores receiving said rod while being of complementary noncircular cross section.

10. The massaging brush defined in claim 2 wherein at least one of said grips is formed remote from said core with an eye, and a handle ring swingable in said eye. 

1. A massaging brush comprising an elongated flexible core, grip means anchored to said core at least at one end thereof, and a helical brush mounted on said core with freedom of axial extension and compaction thereon, said brush comprising a helically wound outwardly open channel of U-section and an array of bristles anchored in and projecting radially from said channel.
 2. The massaging brush defined in claim 1 wherein said array of bristles is substantially continuous and said grip means includes a respective grip at each end of said core, said helical brush being confined between said grips and being rotatable relative to said grip on said core.
 3. The massaging brush defined in claim 2 wherein said channel is composed of a corrosion-resistant material and is wound in a multiplicity of turns with an interturn spacing of about 3 to 4 mm., said channel having an inner helix diameter of aboUt 12 to 13 mm and an outer helix diameter of about 20 mm, said brush having an outer diameter of about 55 mm.
 4. The massaging brush defined in claim 2 wherein said core is an elastomeric tube having a length greater than the axial length of said helical brush in a rectilinear condition thereof.
 5. The massaging brush defined in claim 4 where each of said grips is provided with an axially extending stub, said tube tightly hugging said stubs at its ends.
 6. The massaging brush defined in claim 2 wherein said bore is a relatively tightly wound helical coil flexibly spanning said grips.
 7. The massaging brush defined in claim 6 wherein each of said grips is formed with an internally threaded socket and said coil is threaded at its ends into said sockets.
 8. The massaging brush defined in claim 2 wherein said core includes a rod spanning said grips and a plurality of axially spaced rings mounted on said rod and rotatably supporting said helical brush.
 9. The massaging brush defined in claim 8 wherein said rod has a noncircular cross section and said rings have throughgoing bores receiving said rod while being of complementary noncircular cross section.
 10. The massaging brush defined in claim 2 wherein at least one of said grips is formed remote from said core with an eye, and a handle ring swingable in said eye. 